US Extradites Nigerian Akinade Raheem Over Alleged $100m Tax Fraud Scheme

United States authorities have extradited Nigerian national Akinade Adedeji Raheem from the Benin Republic to face charges over an alleged tax fraud scheme involving more than $100 million in fraudulent refunds claimed from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

According to the US Department of Justice, Raheem was transferred to the United States last week after being arrested in Benin in April 2026. He was subsequently brought before a court to face allegations including fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.

US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Theodore Hertzberg, described the alleged fraud as staggering, saying the extradition demonstrated the reach of international law enforcement efforts against suspected financial crimes.

Court documents filed between 2018 and 2023 allege that Raheem worked with another Nigerian, Abayomi Quadri Eletu, and other co-conspirators to obtain fraudulent tax refunds using stolen identities belonging to American taxpayers and tax professionals.

Investigators allege that the group obtained sensitive personal information, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers, by creating online accounts with the IRS and requesting private taxpayer information. The stolen details were then allegedly used to submit more than 300 false tax returns claiming over $100 million in refunds.

According to the prosecution, the alleged proceeds were channelled through prepaid debit cards sent to addresses controlled by members of the group. The money was reportedly used to purchase goods, designer items and used vehicles, some of which were allegedly shipped to Nigeria and other locations.

Authorities said Raheem was living in Atlanta during part of the alleged scheme, while Eletu reportedly operated from the United Kingdom and Nigeria. US investigators began tracking Raheem in April 2026 after he allegedly travelled to Mexico and then to Benin. He was subsequently arrested after an Interpol alert was issued.

The US Department of Justice described the extradition as the result of cooperation involving law enforcement agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Benin, including Interpol personnel and Benin’s police and justice authorities.

Raheem faces potential maximum penalties of 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering, 10 years for access device fraud and a mandatory additional two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft, according to the Justice Department. These are potential penalties, not a sentence already imposed.

Meanwhile, Eletu has reportedly been arrested in the United Kingdom and is facing extradition proceedings to the United States.

The case comes amid broader international efforts to combat cybercrime and online financial fraud. Interpol’s Operation Serengeti III, which involved law enforcement agencies from 21 countries, reportedly led to the arrest of 1,462 suspects and the dismantling of 10,909 malicious networks between June and August 2026. The operation also resulted in the recovery of more than $105 million in illicit proceeds, according to Interpol.